The NHL Department of Player Safety has offered an in person hearing to Minnesota Wild forward Ryan Hartman following his match penalty against the Ottawa Senators on Saturday.
Near the end of the 2nd period, Hartman and Ottawa’s Tim Stutzle lined up across from one another at the face-off circle. Once the puck was dropped, Hartman could be seen driving Stutzle’s head into the ice, resulting in a cut just above his eyebrow.
The 30 year old was issued a match penalty for intent to injure and subsequently ejected from the game. Ottawa would go on to pad their lead on the power play as they posted a dominating 6-0 victory over the Wild, outshooting them 52-16 in the process.
Hartman had a rough night all around, as he and Senators defenceman Travis Hamonic could be seen jawing back and forth multiple times throughout the contest. The Wild forward also received a 2 minute penalty for roughing, followed by a minor for embellishment after getting tangled up with Stutzle earlier in the 2nd period.
The former 1st rounder has been suspended 4 times throughout his NHL career for a total of 7 games to date. The most recent incident came back in April of 2024 when he threw his stick in the direction of an official.
Given that he’s a repeat offender, and has been offered an in person hearing, many expect that Hartman is in line for a lengthy suspension. In person hearings allow the league to issue suspensions of 6 games or more. The Department of Player Safety has yet to confirm a date or time for the meeting.
Photo: Jenn G. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.